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CITY OF VANCOUVER SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OCTOBER 7 AND 8, 2003 |
A Special Meeting of the Council of the City of Vancouver was held on Tuesday, October 7, 2003, at 7:30 p.m., and was reconvened on Wednesday, October 8, 2003, at 7:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber, Third Floor, City Hall.
PRESENT: |
Mayor Larry Campbell
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CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE: |
Brent MacGregor, Deputy City Manager |
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE: |
Tina Hildebrandt, Meeting Coordinator
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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Woodsworth
SECONDED by Councillor Sullivan
THAT this Council resolve itself into Committee of the Whole, Mayor Campbell in the Chair.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
1. Regulation of Single Room Accommodation (File 4656)
Vancouver City Council, at its meeting on Tuesday, September 16, 2003, received a Report Reference regarding the Regulation of Single Room Accommodation. Council referred this item to a Special Council meeting on October 7, 2003, in order to hear from delegations. This meeting was subsequently reconvened on October 8, 2003, and the minutes have been consolidated for ease of reference.
Accordingly, Council had before it the following materials:
i) Extract from the Minutes of the September 16, 2003 Council meeting;
ii) Policy Report dated September 9, 2003.
Nathan Edelson, Senior Planner, Central Area Planning, reviewed the rationale for and the key components of the proposed Single Room Accommodation By-law. Mr. Edelson introduced Larry Beasley, Director of Current Planning, Cameron Gray, Director of Housing Centre, and Celine Mauboules, Planner, Central Area Planning, who were available to respond to questions.
The following expressed opposition to the proposed SRA By-law:
Brian Salmi
Peter Plett, Owner, several SRA Hotels
Nasser Nabahat, c/o C&N Backpackers
Frank Shorrock, Owner, St. Clair Hotel
Richard Kay, Owner, Georgia Manor Holdings
Brigit Snider, Owner, Laurel Apartments (brief filed)
Andrew Nodzykowski, Arcadian Architecture
Mario Laudisio, Orr Hotel Ltd. (Dominion Hotel)
Paul Crooks, Vice-President, Global Village Backpackers
Mel Espadilla, General Manager, Howard Johnson Hotel
Andrew Mowat
Ted Fromson
Geoff Burgess
Zahir Karim, Cecil Hotel (brief filed).
Comments provided by the foregoing speakers included the following:
· there are proprietors of SRA buildings who are doing their part to achieve the 31 objectives listed in the Integrated Strategic Plan of the Vancouver Agreement, such as rejuvenating the Downtown Eastside (DTES) and providing low-cost food;
· Council should consider the impacts of the by-law (e.g. reduced SRA property values and increased taxes across the City); suggested the SRA buildings be placed on the Heritage Management Plan;
· with provincial cuts to welfare in March 2004, the vacancy rate will rise in SRA buildings - the low income and homeless need social housing, not SRAs; the by-law will destroy the remaining SRA stock;
· guests, such as students, who require a room on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, are entitled to less expensive accommodations;
· Council should defeat the by-law and strike a Task Force involving all stakeholders - many are willing to work together in developing sustainable housing;
· the proposed by-law applies specifically to 198 private property owners who have been discriminated against by being singled out;
· fees and the timeframe of the process are onerous;
· hotel owners need flexibility to rent as they choose in order to be a viable business;
· the backpacking industry is Vancouver's fastest growing hospitality market; they pay most into City revenues as they stay longest; the by-law could freeze industry as developers would not want to open accommodations for backpackers; Council should consider economic benefits of this industry;
· social housing is a societal responsibly and all citizens should pay, not just property owners targeted by the by-law;
· the City should not penalize business owners wanting to shift business to tourist lodging and creating jobs;
· the data collection method used in the report significantly inflates net loss of SRA units;
· the by-law will inhibit investment recovery and subsequent building maintenance;
· gentrification does not have to be a negative - Strathcona is a good example;
· incentives for renovation and upgrading should be put in place, not penalties.
The following spoke in favour of the proposed SRA By-law:
Michelle Burton, Neighbourhood Helpers Outreach Project
Emily Howard, Advocate for Downtown South
Susan Cameron, Director, Tenants' Rights Action Coalition
Blair Petry
Jim Leyden, Woodwards Social Housing Coalition
Paul Houle, BC Government and Service Employee's Union (Local 603)
Tom Laviolette, Carnegie Community Action Project
Jeff Sommers, Area Business Owner
Muggs Sigurgeirson, Carnegie Community Centre Association
Joel Soloman
Joseph Ray
Noelle Nadeau
Justine Aaron
Clemencia-Gomez, Neighbourhood Helpers
Comments provided by the foregoing speakers included the following:
· since 1990 the City has lost over half its SRA stock and while Council has been putting forward good policies, it is not enough - Council should pass the by-law as it is a step in the right direction to make Vancouver a more balanced city;
· to make the by-law more effective it should be City-wide, fees should be higher and the designation process for landlords should be less than 90 days;
· Council should pass the by-law so the residents of SRAs can have a home and live with dignity; it is important to maintain safe, stable housing for people with specific needs;
· while the by-law is overdue as a tool to stop homelessness, it is also timely to uphold the commitment and guarantees around the Olympics housing;
· strongly supported the regulation of SRAs and the necessary steps that local government can take, although it is recognized more needs to be done at Federal and Provincial levels;
· the by-law is an extension of regulatory controls on private property, like other civic by-laws;
· consider incentives for owners of SRA buildings;
· urged Council to move forward with the anti-conversion by-law because the level of homelessness has never been higher than it is now; there is a lack of adequate housing stock for the poor;
· people must come before financial gain;
· SRAs are essential to many Vancouver citizens due to reasons beyond their control; for many, the SRA is the last stop before the street.
The following spoke in general favour of the proposed SRA By-law and offered suggestions for improvements:
Peter Fairchild, General Manager, The West Hotel
Tanya Hughes, Owner, Dunsmuir House (proposal filed)
Geoff Hughes, Owner, Marble Arch Hotel
Blaine Culling, Granville Entertainment
Carolyn Barnes
Kathy Thompson, Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association
Arthur Brock
Ian McRae
Paul Ardagh, Owner, Alexander Court/Gastown Business Improvement Society
Roger Bayley, Downtown Vancouver Association
Comments provided by the foregoing speakers included the following:
· the by-law should be amended to allow owners of SRA buildings the flexibility to utilize the rooms for other purposes when they are empty;
· the by-law is creating panic amongst SRA owners and will have the opposite effect of Council's stated objective - suggest Council enter into an agreement with a developer or non-profit organization to build 120 units of affordable housing per year for the next 10 years;
· suggested staff examine the housing agreement Siesta Hotel entered into with the City as it could be a good model;
· suggested buildings on the list be addressed in phases with priority given to the buildings that are already vacant or derelict;
· tourist buildings should be excluded as these operations have done a great deal to revitalize Granville Street;
· it is important that the process be expeditious for owners in removing their SRA buildings from the list;
· staff should investigate the possibility of separate fee structures for various scenarios;
· the by-law should not apply to buildings being renovated or retained as SRA stock;
· money collected from the by-law should be reinvested in upgrading/maintaining SRAs;
· as an incentive, reinstate the "Owner of the Year" award;
· Council should defer adoption of the by-law to provide time for staff to meet with property owners to develop a more progressive and creative process;
· expressed concern the by-law would negate the benefits of the Gastown Heritage Management Plan;
· the by-law needs to clarify that the levy would not apply to specific buildings as opposed to mandating that owners apply for exemption;
· principles to strive for include:
o protect residents and avoid displacement;
o maintain reasonable rent levels;
o transition of bad SRAs into liveable condition;
o maintain tax base and ensure current owners stay in business and provide a service;
o ensure strong investment environment/new opportunities to improve DTES;
· private enterprise will make a difference in the DTES, not government; initiatives should be in place to encourage investment;
· fees are punitive;
· controls to rate of change necessary in some instances, but not in this case.
Vincent Fodera did not express an opinion, but stated that Vancouver's treatment of the homeless is a detriment to the City's image.
Staff responded to questions relating to the following:
· the process involved in obtaining a conversion or demolition permit;
· the impacts on SRA vacancy rates associated with the province's proposed welfare cuts;
· impact of the proposed by-law on applications relating to incentives, heritage revitalization agreements, and various other programs;
· fees being determined on a case-by-case basis;
· future loss of SRAs through poor management, fire, etc.;
· replacement/displacement statistics;
· effects of the proposed by-law on zoning;
· process relating to determining if individual property would be deemed as SRA;
· rationale of why and how properties were placed on the SRA list;
· staff commitment is to obtain basic documentation in order to remove those inappropriately on the list.
MOVED by Councillor Green
THAT all speakers having been heard, discussion and decision on the Regulation of Single Room Accommodation be postponed to the Regular Council meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2003.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
RISE FROM COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
THAT the Committee of the Whole rise and report.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
ADOPT REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
MOVED by Councillor Roberts
SECONDED by Councillor Cadman
THAT the report of the Committee of the Whole be adopted.
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
The Special Council recessed at 10:06 p.m. on October 7, 2003,
and adjourned on October 8, 2003, at 10:10 p.m.
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